Submarine bomb.



D. B. DUNLOP.

SUBMARINE BOMB.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.27. 1915.

1,161,636. Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

D. B. DUNLOP.

SUBMARINE BOMB. I

APPLlCATION FILED AUG.27. 1915.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

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2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

DANIEL B. DUNLOP, 0F PETEESBURG, VIRGINIA.

SUBMABINE BOMB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 23, 1915 Application filed August 27, 1915. Serial No. 47,560.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DANIEL B. DUNLOP, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the cityof Petersburg, county of Dinwiddie, State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Submarine Bombs, of which the following is a specification.

Up to the present time it has been practically impossible for any navy, however well equipped, to destroy or cope successfully with the enemys submarines, except in the rare instances when they are caught on the surface of the water by a superior force.

The difliculties encountered are incident both to locating the craft and reaching it with any effective projectile. While it has for some time been known that submarine boats, even when submerged, can be seen from points well above the water, as by an observer in an air-ship. few, if any, successful attacks have ever been made on submarines from the air. Air craft do not carry sufiiciently heavy guns to damage a submerged boat by means of solid projectiles; the ordinary timed shells cannot be handled with suflicient accuracy to do the work and shells exploded by concussion either go ofli' on the surface of the water, or fail to explode.

The object of the present invention is to provide means for detonating a charge of explosives in the immediate Vicinity of a submarine at any depth at which it can be located, the projectile being particularly adapted to be used, from an aeroplane or other air craft from which it may be dropped on or near the submarine, and being providedwith means whereby the charge vof explosive contained therein is fired within a predetermined"period after it strikes the surface of [the water. The mechanism is preferably timed to explode below the craft to be destroyed.

, More particularly, the device consists of a bomb having a time measuring instrument controlling the detonating means, and means for starting or tripping the time measuring device when the bomb strikes the surface of the water.

In the-accompanying drawings, I have illustrated a bomb constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 1 is a top plan of the device in the position which it takes in traveling downward through the air; Fig. 2 is a side elevation, a portion of the casing being broken away to show the inclosed mechanism; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3, 3 of Fig. 2 showing the clock work in plan; and Fig. 4 is a vertical section showing the clock work in elevation.

Referring to the drawing by numerals; the device consists of a casing 1 containing explosives and detonating and timing means, the casing being shown as cylindrical in form and drawn to a point at the lower end, and weighted at this end to keep the bomb upright as shown, and make it fall point first. The casing 1 is divided by a suitable actuated by the entrance of the bomb into the water to trip the mechanism. In the form of the invention shown, the tripping means consists of one or more projecting members in the form of wings 2 shown as hinged to the side of the casing at 7, projecting laterally and flaring outward toward the top so that on the entrance of the bomb into a the water at a high rate of speed, these wings are forced inward compressing the springs 8 by means of which they are held normally distended, as shown in Fig. 2. As a part of the tripping means, there are two horizontal bars 9 pivotally or otherwise suitably connected each at its outer end to one of the wings, as by means of a pin 10. The bars 9 each project inward and overlap at their inner ends 11 and 12 as shown. Projecting from each of these bars there is a lug 13 spaced well back from the end. These lugs are so placed in regard to their respective locking bars 9 on which they are carried that when both bars are forced inward, sliding one over the other, the lugs are separated and when the bars move outward, the lugs come together. These bars 9, as has been stated, are pivotally connected one to each wing 2 and in addition to this, each bar, as shown. has a sliding bearing at 14 in the adjacent side of the casing and to prevent accidental discharge of the bomb, there is a safety locking pin at one or both sides. These pins pass through the boss 16 on the casing. It is impossible to start the timing bars 9 is such that when the parts, including the wings, are in normal position, as shown particularly in Fig. 3, the timing and detonating mechanism is locked. When the safety locking pins 15 are removed and the wings 2 are thrust inward, the lugs 13 vmove out of the notches 17 in the wheel 18, the latter is unlocked and the timing mechanism I begins to operate. The period permitted to lapse between the time the bomb hits the water and the firing of the charge is determined by the s'et of the hands 20 which correspond to the ordinary set of an alarm clock by means of which the time of sounding the alarm is determined, and with the changes noted, the timing mechanism is the ordinary alarm clock work. The detonating device proper, see Fig. 4, consists of a hammer or plunger 21 actuated by a spring 22 and withdrawn by means of a handle 23. The plunger is held in retracted position by means of a detent 24, see Fig. 3, mounted on an eccentric 25 on the shaft 26 to which a wheel 27 is secured. This shaft and Wheel tend to rotate in response to the tension of the spring 28. The detent, when advanced, engages registering notches 38 and 39. The wheel 27 meshes with a second wheel 29 which is locked by a lever 30 engaging a notch 31 in a disk'31 on the same shaft. Incidentally, the tendency of the wheel 29 to rotate, tends to throw the lever 30 to the right in Fig. 3 out of the notch. However, the parts are held in the position shown by the action of the circular surface 32 of the cam 33 on the shaft 34, but when, in the action of the clock mechanism for a period determined bv the set of the hands, the cam 33 is rotated so as to bring the drop of the cam in contact with the pin 35 on the lever 30, this latter lever is released and thrown out of the notch 31 in the disk 31, the wheels 27 and 29 are released and begin to rotate as does the eccentric 25 so that the detent 24 is withdrawn from the notches 38 and 39,

which it is estimated the submarine lies.

The bomb is thenreleased'and permitted to drop. When it strikes the water, the wings 2, in their flaring position, meet the extra resistance (the springs being sufliciently strong to resist the pressure of the air but not the water pressure) and are forced in, thetiming mechanism is released and the operation already described, ending with the detonation of the charge, takes place.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

' 1. An explosive bomb consisting of a body portion carrying an explosive charge, means for detonating the charge, timing means controlling the detonatingomeans and tripping means for the timing mechanism including means to be engaged by the water and acted upon thereby to actuate the tripping means when the bomb strikes the water.

2. .A submarine bomb consisting of a casing carrying an explosive charge, means for detonating the charge, means for timing the detonating mechanism, means for tripping the timing means, the tripping means including a wing flaring outwardly from the casing, a spring supporting the wing having tension sufficient to resist the air pressure but insufiicient to resist the water pressure when the bomb is dropped into the Water, I

substantially as described.

3. In a submarine bomb, means containing anexplosive charge, means for detonating the charge, timing means for the detonating mechanism, means for lockingthe timing means, and means for releasing the locking mechanism, including a projecting wing and a spring to support the wing in distended position, the spring being suflicient to resist the air pressure but insufficient to resist the water pressure, so that when the bomb is dropped into the water, the timing mechanism is released. 1

4. A submarine bomb including an explosive charge, means for detonating the charge, means for locking the detonating means, timing mechanism for releasing the lock, means for locking the timing mechanism and means for releasing the latter lock including a projecting blade or "wing, means for supporting the blade in distended position, said means bein suflicient to resist the air pressure but insu eient to resist the water pressure, whereby the wing or blade is deflected when the bomb strikes the water, the timing mechanism is released and in turn releases the detonating mechanism which fires the charge in a predetermined period after the bomb strikes the water.

5. In a submarine bomb, an explosive charge, means for detonating the charge, means for locking the detonating mechanism, time measuring means for releasing the lock, means for locking the time measmeans for looking uring means, means in the fOII'Z of projecting wings controlling the latter lock, andspring mechanism for holding the wings in distended position, the tension of the springs being sufficient to resist air pressure when the bomb is dropped, but insufficient to resist water pressure, whereby the wings are deflected when the bomb is dropped into the water and the time measuring mechanism is released 6. In asubmarine bomb, a casing carry ing an explosive charge, detonating means,

the same and time .measuring means controlling the lock, the time measuring means having a notched wheel, a sliding bar carrying a lug engaging the notch, and a wing connected to the sliding bar tomove the same, a spring holding the.

parts in locked relation with the wing in distended position, the spring being sufficient to resist the air pressure as the bomb falls, but insufficient to resist water pressure so that when the bomb strikes the water, the wing is deflected and the timing mechanism released.

7. In a submarine bomb, an explosive charge, spring controlleddetonating means,

7 means tending to maintain retracted position,

with the notch in the for locking the detonating means in an eccentric for controlling and adapted to withdraw the locking means, a spring tending to rotate the eccentric, time measuring means for locking the eccentric, meansin the form of a notched wheel for looking the time measuring means,

means notch in the wheel to lock the same, a wing to which the sliding bar is connected, and

the wing in distended position with the lug in engagement wheel, saidmean s bewings in distended having notches, two sliding bars having lugs to engage the notches, wings carrying the sliding bars, springs tending to maintain the position, the tension of the, springs being suflicient to resist the air pressure when the bomb drops but insufiicient to resist the water pressure when the bomb strikes the water, whereby the timing mechanism is released as the bomb enters the water.

9. In a submarine bomb, an explosive charge, detonating means, means for looking the detonating means, means tending to release the lock, time measuring means controlling the releasing device, a locking mem-' her for the time measuring device, wings having means controlling the latter locking member and means tending to hold the wings in distended position, said means being sufficient to resist air pressure when the bomb drops but insufiicient to resist the water pressure when the bomb strikes the water, whereby the timing mechanism is released as the bomb enters the water.

Signed by me at Petersburg, county, Virginia, this 25th day of August,

g DANIEL B. DUNLOP. Witnesses: t ARTHUR P. WOOD,

' J. .G. MCCOUDLISH.

Dinwiddie 

